Shingo 'Seabass' Takatsuka is a living soccer legend. The mastermind behind the exceptional Pro Evolution Soccer series has been creating our favourite game of footy for years now, but 2008 signals a milestone for the long-running soccer series, with PS3 and Wii versions of the game now completing a full next gen line-up.
So it was with great pleasure we sat down with Seabass at the Pro Evo Finals currently being held in Seville to get the lowdown on how the series has evolved in its move onto PS3, his vision for how the online modes of the game will continue to grow, the thorny issue of integrating simulation (or diving) into gameplay and how he plans a complete and radical overhaul for the series in 2009.
Here's what we discovered.
This is the first Pro Evolution Soccer on PS3 - are you pleased with what you've achieved and how do you see the series evolving on PS3?
Seabass: Well I'm satisfied in that in the time frame we had, we were able to finish the code and release it on time, but that's only really within that time frame. When I look at the capacity of what the PS3 can do, I feel very strongly that there's loads of things that I wanted to do, but I couldn't do them in this version.
As to the future, well it's not just about PS3 actually, but it's more about the mentality of the development team and I want to change the mentality of the team to be renewed and changed to focus on all next-gen platforms. We've already started operations on this.
How do you see the online version of the series, how has that changed in 2008 and how do you see it developing in subsequent versions of PES?
Seabass: Well for this year the online mode for all platforms is one versus one and in that aspect you may be a little unsatisfied by this. But when you play the game online you'll have a totally different experience. Up to last year on the PS2 for example, we were up to two versus two but if we proceeded to five versus five or six versus six, I wouldn't have been happy because the experience you would have had would be a totally different experience to the game you play offline.
Therefore what we did is change the system so that in this version you had a much closer playing experience to the offline version provided you have a good internet connection. The 'play feel' you get is almost like you're playing the offline version. It was a little bit different in the 360 version last year, but this is even more different than in this year's PS3 version.
This year's next gen versions still seem very much based on the PS2 version of the game. Will we see a big overhaul in graphics and game engine over the next couple of years in the next gen versions?
Seabass: Well I can already promise you that next year's version of PES will have a lot more new features as you would expect because we're already working on these new things right now. With the release of the PS3 we now have all the basics of the next gen at a starting stage finally. Now I don't have to worry about creating the basic parts of the next gen versions for next year, meaning I have already been able to start working on new features. Now I'm able to promise new things and a complete overhaul in every aspect.
We haven't seen many changes in PES's game modes for a while - are you planning new game modes for next year's version?
Seabass: For the game modes I understand that we haven't added many new game modes which is quite problematic for us, even within the team. But actually all the new modes which we are going to put in the game for next season are already finished. Obviously I'd like to be able to tell you what these are, but you'll understand I can't tell you about the new modes for next season, when we haven't even released PES 2008 yet! But it's not just the new modes which are important, but changes to the actually gameplay are even more crucial, so I don't want to forget about that aspect as well.
One of the new features of the game this year is diving. Can you tell us a little about that? It has provoked some controversy amongst the fans especially with the ability to use it in online games
Seabass: Well diving is something you do see in real football and anything I see in real football I do like to implement in our game. This diving feature is not something that just popped up a couple of months ago and something we just decided to chuck in. We have been experimenting with this a long time and we did a lot of work balancing things out when we put in this feature. You might think that diving would really affect gameplay and of course it does to a certain extent, however you can't always dive and get a penalty, in fact you're more likely to get a yellow card from the referee.
If I can give you a hint, diving is best used in certain situations where even if you had not dived, the shot might have gone in. Then it's more obvious the ref will probably not give you a yellow card but give you a penalty. You have to work out the situation, if you're one on one with the keeper and it looks as if you're going to score and you're tackled from behind, then is probably the best time to use the dive. When your player wobbles as he's tackled that's the time to use the dive as you'll have a higher percentage chance of earning a penalty.
Has the DualShock 3 pad made much of an impact on development and will that succeed DualShock 2 as the best way of controlling PES?
Seabass: Well the DualShock 3, the biggest improvement that they've probably made is re-introducing rumble and as you know PES has never made use of rumble, so in that sense it's not very interesting for me. What's more important is that i want to make PES more precise in terms of movement with the D-pad and make the button configuration simpler, using less buttons and that's more of a priority when I look at DualShock 3.
When you compare 360 and PS3 versions of PES, which do you think is the better version in terms of control?
Seabass: Well firstly there's absolutely no difference in terms of the code between the PS3 and 360 versions. If you're asking about the controller I can only give you my personal opinion. I am really bad at using the 360 controller and I make a lot more missed passes and mistakes using the 360 controller, so I like the PS3 controller more. However a lot of my friends prefer the 360 controller so it's really personal preference, but there's absolutely no difference in the code between the two versions.
Thats great n all but why havent sony got the pro evo demo on PSN yet the 360 have had it over 3 weeks now and it makes me sick ive even gone and rented Fifa 08 for the week to pass the time! thats right f**kin Fifa !! which is s**t but not as bad as i thought the play looks very realistic and similar to the way a real game is but its just not as nice to play like pro evo and u cant score nice goals in fifa either.
Why no mention of the Wii SKU..? After seeing a video of the Wii Pro Evo control system this SKU could possibly be the definitive one for the franchise!
is there an option to turn diving off? if not, i'm not sure i'd even bother playing this online. at least if the guy cheating is sat beside you you can give him a good punch.
Is there any point in buying this years version cos it is probably not much different from last years one. But now that Mr Pro Evo himself has stated that next years version will change quite a lot, this means this years version is already out of date. He has already stated all the features for the next one are ready to go now so whats the point of this one then. Should have release the real version this year I will not buy this one but wait for the next one.
Is there any point in buying this years version cos it is probably not much different from last years one. But now that Mr Pro Evo himself has stated that next years version will change quite a lot, this means this years version is already out of date. He has already stated all the features for the next one are ready to go now so whats the point of this one then. Should have release the real version this year I will not buy this one but wait for the next one.
Fair enough u wait a year in the mean time everyone else will have a top time on 2008.
I may be reading too much into this, but it seems to me that seabass has been waiting on the PS3 to turn up on the next gen scene before really making any real attempt at pro evo! He makes more than one comment on the technical capabilities of the PS3, yet surely the 360 must have been quite a jump in tech' two years ago!!
Let's face it last years 360 version was a half bottomd attempt that was nowhere near as good as it's PS2 counterpart!
I hope this is not going to be a sign of things to come from SeaBass! I realise that the PS1 and PS2 were a major factor in PES success but I don't want to see developers favouring one platform over another when it comes to multiformat games.
Me cago en la puta y en el puto japones creador del pro,se han cargado lo mejor del JUEGO,el 2vs2,ostia puta,UPA ENFERMOS FOR EVER,y me cago en la ostia y en la madre que pario al creador del puto pro,NO ME CANSARE DE DECIRLO,ES UN CABRON QUE NO HA PENSADO EN LOS AMIGOS ECHOS,CABRON CABRON Y CABRON. Pd:MAGOS MARRANOS,BOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!
VIVA LOSENFERMOS Y VIVA EL 2VS2 ONLY CLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Despite what he says, there is no excuse that the core engine is still based on the PS2 game. We had excuses last year as to why there wasn't a jump for the "next gen" game and once again the excuses are being carted out before the game is even released.....meanwhile FIFA has had a complete overhaul and is now an excellent game.
Konami need to get the finger out, and fast, or a once great gaming franchise may lose its appeal.
While I love Pro Evo, this interview has p**sed me off for several reasons. 1. He basically admitted that last years 360 version and this years 360 and PS3 version are just shiny ports using the PS2 engine. 2. Only 1 vs 1 online? Thats really poor and from the sounds of things its down to sloppy net code. 3. Seems like he really favours the PS3, which is pretty lame considering the majority of sales will come from the 360 version. 4. Basically said, 'if you want a proper next-gen Pro Evo, wait until next year!'. 5. Diving will ruin the game...
"Well diving is something you do see in real football and anything I see in real football I do like to implement in our game. This diving feature is not something that just popped up a couple of months ago and something we just decided to chuck in."
What like you decided to chuck in handballs that the player had no control of in PES3, where it should have been a risk move instigated by the player in terms of controlling a difficult ball?
At least if some of those losers online continue throw sliding tackles all over the shop when they start losing online, you should finally be able to get some reward through diving, but it's still a stupid mechanic to put into the game, and no doubt it will be lost or PES 2009.
What caveat's will be ready for next year then. I agree that 1 vs 1 online is inexcusable. If PS2 can do it now and PS3 version is based on the same code, then why not 2vs2?? Of course I will buy it and of course I will love it, but it seemed to me like he was making excuses for a shortage in features and that the 'real' update will be in another years time!!
Why all the fuss about diving? Way back on the N64 with ISS (by the other Konami football devleopers), there was a diving "move" where you needed to press all four C-buttons, when your player stumbled after a tackle (it wasn't mentioned in the manual though!).
Incidentally, the game also had a ref and linesmen onscreen all the time, but it took until PES 3 or 4 (I think) before they appeared. I've only got PES5, and there are still no linesmen running up and down the pitch.
you people should stop whinging, pro gets better every year so why does it need a radical change ffs. have you not heard the saying "if it aint broke dont fix it". you'll all buy it, you'll all love it and you all know that
Except, of course, the rumours (see the review on Pro-G and in Play magazine) are that the PS3 game is crippled by inexplicable (even by Seabass himself) slowdown. The impartiality of the positive review on IGN has been called into question as they advertise in PES2008 and as for the one in the official Playstation magazine, you don't need me to explain why that might not be reliable.
I'm not saying any of this is gospel and I truly hope that the criticisms are unfounded.
As CVG/PSM3 have actually played the game (see the recently uploaded videos), do you care to comment?
you people should stop whinging, pro gets better every year so why does it need a radical change ffs. have you not heard the saying "if it aint broke dont fix it". you'll all buy it, you'll all love it and you all know that
Im with this chap....every year i think "are they gonna c**k this up".....they dont.As for the diving...then bring it on lol
you people should stop whinging, pro gets better every year so why does it need a radical change ffs. have you not heard the saying "if it aint broke dont fix it". you'll all buy it, you'll all love it and you all know that
im with this chap....every year i think are they gonna c**k this up and they dont.....as for the diving...bring it on! (sorry bout the c**k up above haha)
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!! which is s**t 
but not as bad as i thought the play looks very realistic and similar to the way a real game is but its just not as nice to play like pro evo and u cant score nice goals in fifa either.
(sorry bout the c**k up above haha)
